Has anyone ever bought "The Shower Shelf"? Or know of any alternatives?
August 7, 2017 10:02 AM Subscribe
Moving into a new place where the only place for bath storage I have available is by utilizing the towel bar located inside the shower itself (roommates have occupied all the usual storage spaces). Looking for a storage system.
This item, appropriately named "The Shower Shelf", would be awesome, but I can't find any non-sponsored reviews and it's fairly pricey to not know if it's any good and will take a while to arrive besides (about 2 weeks). Anyone ever buy one? How was it? Otherwise, am also taking suggestions for an item like The Shower Shelf that can be found in more common brick-and-mortor or online stores (e.g. Bed, Bath, and Beyond; HomeGoods; Amazon) or for any other towel-bar organization system that you've used and liked (and is hopefully not too expensive.) All I need to store on it is a large Costo-sized shampoo bottle and a soap dish (with soap on top.) Thanks!
This item, appropriately named "The Shower Shelf", would be awesome, but I can't find any non-sponsored reviews and it's fairly pricey to not know if it's any good and will take a while to arrive besides (about 2 weeks). Anyone ever buy one? How was it? Otherwise, am also taking suggestions for an item like The Shower Shelf that can be found in more common brick-and-mortor or online stores (e.g. Bed, Bath, and Beyond; HomeGoods; Amazon) or for any other towel-bar organization system that you've used and liked (and is hopefully not too expensive.) All I need to store on it is a large Costo-sized shampoo bottle and a soap dish (with soap on top.) Thanks!
I used a cheap adhesive-backed plastic hook, and a coated wire rack like this one. This solution has been in place for 12+ years, and has thus far failed to suck.
posted by sourcequench at 10:16 AM on August 7, 2017
posted by sourcequench at 10:16 AM on August 7, 2017
Haven't tried one, but it seems reasonable, and being a one-piece design seems unlikely to break. One option if the large shampoo bottle doesn't fit or is too top-heavy on the thing would be to split the shampoo into smaller bottles, so you'd only need to keep one in the shower.
Another towel-rod-based option would be to get baskets that you could hang on the towel rack with s-hooks (or that come with their own attached hooks.) IKEA sells a lot of items that work this way, or you can get hooks at a hardware store.
Another option might be to get a set of shower shelves attached to a tension rod (like for curtains, but vertical.) If your roommates are taking up one of the corners of the shower but aren't using anything like that, you could let them keep taking up the same amount of space on one or two shelves of the shower caddy, but then you'd have more space overall. These are pretty easy to remove, no problem for renters. Search for tension rod shower caddy, you'll find a lot of them.
posted by asperity at 10:18 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Another towel-rod-based option would be to get baskets that you could hang on the towel rack with s-hooks (or that come with their own attached hooks.) IKEA sells a lot of items that work this way, or you can get hooks at a hardware store.
Another option might be to get a set of shower shelves attached to a tension rod (like for curtains, but vertical.) If your roommates are taking up one of the corners of the shower but aren't using anything like that, you could let them keep taking up the same amount of space on one or two shelves of the shower caddy, but then you'd have more space overall. These are pretty easy to remove, no problem for renters. Search for tension rod shower caddy, you'll find a lot of them.
posted by asperity at 10:18 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
I love the type of shower organizer that's made of mesh fabric and hangs from your shower curtain rod (you could also hang it from the towel bar) - I've bought this one many times. They do tend to mildew if you don't wash them regularly, so either buy two and rotate them or plan to replace a few times a year.
posted by mskyle at 10:22 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mskyle at 10:22 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
We use a wire basket shower caddy with an integrated soap dish bit (basically like this one) that we found at Ross for $8.
After the eighty-fifth time the suction cups failed, we hold ours up with water-resistant Command hooks. Those don't fit between the wires so I made hanging loops with zip ties. Not as pretty, but less likely to fall off the wall and wake us up at 4am.
posted by fifthpocket at 10:22 AM on August 7, 2017
After the eighty-fifth time the suction cups failed, we hold ours up with water-resistant Command hooks. Those don't fit between the wires so I made hanging loops with zip ties. Not as pretty, but less likely to fall off the wall and wake us up at 4am.
posted by fifthpocket at 10:22 AM on August 7, 2017
I use a shower caddy that hangs from the shower head. You can get one from the dollar store. I use a hairband around the pipe to keep it from shifting. Easiest solution.
posted by splen at 10:57 AM on August 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by splen at 10:57 AM on August 7, 2017 [3 favorites]
The 3M Command shower caddies have been amazing, I've had them in two apartments now. You can get hooks, soap dishes, razor holders, and most significantly, the larger caddies themselves are pretty generously sized and sturdier than I ever would have expected. As someone who doesn't shop there, I'm kind of afraid how big a Costco bottle of shampoo might be, but I have, at the moment, three different shampoos and two conditioners plus shaving cream in my Command shower caddy without a problem.
posted by Sequence at 11:03 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Sequence at 11:03 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've got very large shampoo and conditioner bottles, and I find that the space it saves in the shower to transfer to small travel-sized bottles is totally worth it. Might up your options to have a smaller bottle.
posted by nat at 11:10 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by nat at 11:10 AM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
We have a Shower Shelf-like device in our guest path, and it's worked fine for > 10 years. I think the key delta here is that it's much more stable than anything based on suction cups.
posted by uberchet at 11:10 AM on August 7, 2017
posted by uberchet at 11:10 AM on August 7, 2017
Why not just get a shower caddy like college students use to carry in? If the bathroom is that crowded already, you might prefer it.
posted by nakedmolerats at 11:31 AM on August 7, 2017
posted by nakedmolerats at 11:31 AM on August 7, 2017
Response by poster: splen: I agree, but there is already a shower caddy hanging from the shower head and it is already full up.
posted by sevenofspades at 12:00 PM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by sevenofspades at 12:00 PM on August 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
water resistant command hook plus shower caddy of your choice. have done this at 3 locations over 3 years and had no problems. mine is at the opposite end of the shower as the shower head.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:05 PM on August 7, 2017
posted by misanthropicsarah at 12:05 PM on August 7, 2017
IKEA and other kitchen stores/departments will have caddies that are designed to hang from a rod like this Grundtal shelf.
posted by soelo at 12:06 PM on August 7, 2017
posted by soelo at 12:06 PM on August 7, 2017
OXO, the brand that makes all of grip-centered kitchen implements, also makes this corner-caddy for showers. Looks like it would be easy to pull over if it was in the busier corner of the shower/tub, by the showerhead, but unless you have a free-standing tub under your shower, this may be a solution.
Since you have roommates, I'd suggest you get a shallow pan or tub in your room or for an unused corner of the bathroom, like a rubbermaid kinda thing, to store this thing and let it drip. When your roommates knock it over during their showers, there will be unhappiness, so if you can take it out between your own showers, more's the better.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:13 PM on August 7, 2017
Since you have roommates, I'd suggest you get a shallow pan or tub in your room or for an unused corner of the bathroom, like a rubbermaid kinda thing, to store this thing and let it drip. When your roommates knock it over during their showers, there will be unhappiness, so if you can take it out between your own showers, more's the better.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:13 PM on August 7, 2017
Full disclaimer - I have worked in product development in shower storage for the past 8 years so while I know a lot about it, I won't point to any specific products. I can offer some general thoughts on product types.
I would not recommend the product you have linked because there is no security for the bottles. If someone bumps into it, they are all going to come crashing down. You need something that has sides to hold your bottle.
Suction has improved over the years but it is not worth trying unless you have very smooth and flat tile or surround. Even then don't get the cheap basic cups. They won't work well at all.
You could consider a tension pole caddy which will fit into the corner of your shower. It is more storage than you really need but it might help if there is overflow from the over the shower caddy as well.
The suggestion up thread of just putting a shower caddy on a hook is a good one as it is a pretty cheap solution.
Whatever you do, don't buy a chrome plated wire product. They don't hold up nearly as well as the nickel or bronze finishes out there which are typically powder coated.
If you want any specific recommendations feel free to memail me as I don't want to drop suggestions of products from my company here.
posted by nolnacs at 12:49 PM on August 7, 2017 [12 favorites]
I would not recommend the product you have linked because there is no security for the bottles. If someone bumps into it, they are all going to come crashing down. You need something that has sides to hold your bottle.
Suction has improved over the years but it is not worth trying unless you have very smooth and flat tile or surround. Even then don't get the cheap basic cups. They won't work well at all.
You could consider a tension pole caddy which will fit into the corner of your shower. It is more storage than you really need but it might help if there is overflow from the over the shower caddy as well.
The suggestion up thread of just putting a shower caddy on a hook is a good one as it is a pretty cheap solution.
Whatever you do, don't buy a chrome plated wire product. They don't hold up nearly as well as the nickel or bronze finishes out there which are typically powder coated.
If you want any specific recommendations feel free to memail me as I don't want to drop suggestions of products from my company here.
posted by nolnacs at 12:49 PM on August 7, 2017 [12 favorites]
Pinterest has a few ideas (1, 2) for storage hanging from in-shower towel bars. If you have the bar option, I wouldn't bother with suction cups.
posted by R a c h e l at 2:09 PM on August 7, 2017
posted by R a c h e l at 2:09 PM on August 7, 2017
Oh, yes, and my family has a tension pole caddy that has worked surprisingly well. I was skeptical, but it's loaded up and has held up well for at least a year.
posted by R a c h e l at 2:11 PM on August 7, 2017
posted by R a c h e l at 2:11 PM on August 7, 2017
I use the shower head type of caddy and I hung it from my in-shower towel rack with an eight-inch piece of velcro wrapped twice around the rack and the top of the caddy. I wasn't sure it would hold, but it did. It looks neat and holds a lot of stuff. Mine also has hooks at the bottom to hold whatever you might want to hang.
posted by raisingsand at 5:27 PM on August 7, 2017
posted by raisingsand at 5:27 PM on August 7, 2017
We tried all sorts of various suction cup and hanging things that never worked right until we finally settled on a set of corner shelves on a tension pole (stretches between ceiling and tub lip, just tightens in place, no holes to drill or anything). No complaints about it.
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:09 AM on August 8, 2017
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:09 AM on August 8, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:13 AM on August 7, 2017